


Doctor Who?

by ColorfulTaper



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Brotherly Love, Dean Winchester Needs a Hug, F/M, Genius Dean Winchester, Graduate Student Dean Winchester, Hugs, Sam Winchester Needs a Hug, Stanford Era (Supernatural), Stanford Student Sam Winchester, Surprised Sam Winchester, reconnecting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2020-03-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:34:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22981054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulTaper/pseuds/ColorfulTaper
Summary: Sam leaves for Stanford causing Dean to reconsider the direction of his life.  People always thought of Dean as just brawn and no brains but that couldn't be further from the truth.  He is a literal genius and when Stanford invites him as a guest lecture Dean couldn't pass up the chance.
Relationships: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester/Original Female Character(s), Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Comments: 4
Kudos: 135





	Doctor Who?

When Sam took off for Stanford could be argued as one of the worst days of Dean Winchesters life. The feeling of loss and abandonment that went along with the pang of jealously was almost unbearable. Dean had come home that fateful night to see his dad drunk and passed out on one of the ratty motel beds and found a quickly scribbled goodbye note on the other. Dean had tried to call his brother many times since then but seemed to have cut the tie to his dysfunctional family.

Whatever, the reason for Sam’s ghosting Dean was his own business but that didn’t mean that Dean had to take it laying down. Clearly Sam believed that Dean had a dead-end future just like their dad, but his little brother had another thing coming. 

Many people, including Sam, were under the poor misconception that Dean was all brawn and no brains. Many believed that Dean was a high school dropout with only a GED to his name. Little did they know that Dean had skipped multiple grades and was able to graduate early. Dean knew what people were saying behind his back, he had just never felt the need to correct them.

Dean knew from his father’s lack of concern at Sam’s exit that it was his time to hit the road too. In a similar fashion he had left his father a note and wasn’t surprised when he didn’t receive a call from John. After many hours on the road Dean had found himself in a rundown hotel room trying to figure out what his next step would be. This was all incredibly new to him, possibilities. This was his moment, his chance to choose what to do next. Dean pulled out his laptop and decided to take an insane risk, he hopped onto websites for some of the world’s most elite universities. With some brief sweet talking and some honesty Dean was able to get accepted to Harvard University.

~Time Skip My Dudes

Fast forward three years and Dean’s life looked a complete one eighty to where he was before. Dean Winchester hunter and scholar now had a PHD in mythology, mathematics, and mechanical engineering. In this time, he made amazing friendships and took on another adventure, one more dangerous than hunting. Marriage. Kara Magnum Winchester was the light of his life and the only person that could put the fear of god into him. She was feisty, funny, and smart as a whip holding her own PHD’s in psychology and mythology.

This was his first time being completely honest in a relationship and what made it easier was finding out Kara came from a hunter’s background. She also wanted more out of life and had left to pursue an education. For the first time Dean was able to relate to someone on a level he never thought was possible. As a kid he had Sam, but his little brother never really knew him. 

~Sam

It’s the first week back to classes and Sam walked down the halls of one of Stanford’s many academic buildings. He still finds that he feels more at home at school than he ever felt on the road. He loves being around other intellectuals and the mundane day-to-day life. As he wades through the sea of students in their expensive clothes, the warm sound of a woman’s laughter catches his attention. Glancing up he sees a pretty blonde woman walking down the hall laughing at something her companion said. Now Sam wouldn’t have given this a second thought if it wouldn’t have been for her brown leather companion. Sam does a double take and finds himself looking at the back of his brother’s head as he walks down the hall a few paces ahead of Sam. He hurries after his brother and follows him into a crowed classroom.

He hurries forward and grabs Dean’s shoulder, turning him around in the middle of the crowded room. “Dean!?” he almost yells. 

Dean looks at him with an enormous smile and a look of feigned surprise. “Sammy? I totally forgot you go here! What’s it been two, three years?”

Sam's brow furrows. “What are you talking about? Are you here to see me?”

“Not exactly.” Dean said, rubbing the back of his neck slightly embarrassed. “I’m here for the class.”

“Are you here for a case or are you going here?” Sam asks, more confused than ever, not being able to come up with other explanations. 

“Stanford?” Dean questions, ignoring the first part of the question

Sam gives Dean an incredulous look. “Dean, are you trying to tell me that you got into Stanford?” 

“What? Like it’s hard? Or are you insinuating I’m too stupid to be here for this lecture?” Dean shoots back, crossing his arm’s in irritation. Leave it to Sam to make him feel inadequate after only a few minutes of conversation.

Before he can respond Sam watches the blonde put a hand on his brother’s arm. “Not to interrupt this warm reunion but class is about to start.” She pulls Dean away and towards the front of the room and instead of taking a seat the pair continues further until they stand behind the teacher’s desk.

Sam is beyond confused at this point; he jumps when he feels a slender hand grasp his own. “Sam, what are you doing here?” It’s Jessica. “I didn’t think you were interested in listening to these guest lecturers.”

“I…I changed my mind.” Sam stutters out. “Can I sit with you?” Jessica nods and silently moves down a chair allowing her boyfriend to take a seat. He had forgotten that Jess had said that there were visiting professors speaking for the next week.

“I saw you talking to the professors, do you know them?” 

“I know one, but maybe not as well as I thought.” Sam mutters, his brain on the verge of exploding. How was this happening, why didn’t Dean say anything, is this all a joke, and who was that woman? 

Sam could see Jessica wanted to ask him to explain but in that moment the projector flickered, and the lecture began. 

Dean stepped around the desk. “Hello everyone and thank you for coming. My name is Dr. Dean Winchester and this is my wife Dr. Kara Magnum Winchester. 

Sam sat back in his chair roughly, running a hand over his shocked face. “Dean Winchester? You’re brother Dean?” Jess hissed out but Sam ignored the question letting his silence be answer enough. He couldn’t believe it; his brother was s doctor and married. He would have thought it was a joke but the enormous diamond ring on the blondes left hand said otherwise. Plus, the sappy way his brother introduced her was proof enough that Dean was in love with Kara.

Dean clicked the control changing the projector to a new slide, showing a picture of him in a graduation cap and gown holding a diploma. “A little bit about me, I graduated from Harvard about 2 and a half years ago with a PHD in mythology, mathematics, and mechanical engineering.” He paused letting his words sink into the crowd, lips twitching into a small smile as the whispers of shock reached his ears. “Yes, I know, how is it possible that someone like me could graduate with so many degrees in a short amount of time? I am here to tell you with an IQ of 215 and hard work anything is possible.” 

Sam gaped if this was the truth Dean was a clinical genius, he would be up there with the minds of Einstein and Hugo Grotius. With a thundering heart Sam continued to listen to his brother speak. “Some quick facts before I turn this over to my colleague, I am 27 years old, I enjoy traveling around in my 1967 Chevy Impala, I like classic rock, I have a brother here at Stanford, and I love to hunt.” Dean gave a small laugh at the hidden joke and gestured to Kara to take over.

Kara took the clicker from her husband and turned to the crowd her intelligent eyes scanning them until they fell on Sam. She cocked her head as if she was studying him, Sam shifted a bit uneasily in his seat, the flash of the screen broke the moment. “Hello everybody, I am excited to be here this week. I have been asked to give lectures on mythology, psychology with emphasis on abnormal behaviors and different culture opinions on psychology.” Kara clicked the remote again and the slide changed to show a collage of pictures. “These are a few pictures of some important moments of my life.” Sam listen to Kara briefly explain her wedding day, when Dean and she bought their first house, and their honeymoon to Australia. Sam studied each picture everyone a clue into the life of a brother that he thought he knew. Each story Kara told he realized he didn’t know his brother as well as he thought. The man standing in front of him was an absolute stranger. Dean looked the same, he wore the same worn jeans, plaid shirt, and brown leather jacket. But he stood with a slightly different aura, Dean presented himself more confidently, he was comfortable in his skin.

“Anyway, I won’t bore you too much about my personal life, you all are here to learn about the stuff that goes bump in the night.” Kara clicked the remote and a picture of a woman in a long white dress appeared. “Would anyone like to wager a guess at what they are looking at?”

Dean looked squarely at Sam almost daring him to answer his wife’s question. Sam knew better than to play this game instead he sat back further in his chair and crossed his arms. The two waited in silence for a few moments before Dean shrugged and went on to answer Kara’s question. “This photo is of a White Lady. This is a type of female ghost, dressed in all white reportedly seen in rural areas and associated with some local legend of tragedy. While White Lady legends are found in many countries around the world, they are most prominent in parts of the United States, Ireland and Great Britain. Common to many of these legends is the theme of loss of a daughter, husband or father and a sense of purity before death as opposed to the Lady in Red.”

As Dean talked the slides slowly shuffled through pictures of different Women. The class sat in absolute silence except for the scribbling of pencils taking notes. Kara picked up where Dean left off “A White Lady who could also be called a woman in white is said to haunt Durand-Eastman Park in Rochester, New York. Also known as the Lady in the Lake, the 19th-century White Lady wanders the park area, obsessively looking for the body of her daughter, who was slain by a boyfriend or group of hoodlums, depending on the story you hear. Legend has it that the human White Lady either killed herself in grief or died alone and heartbroken.”

Sam sat raptured as the professors went on to tell a story of a woman in white hitchhiking and killing men that would ‘take her home’. The woman was later discovered to the ghost of a wife that drowned her two children after she discovered her husband had been cheating on her. After the death of her children she committed suicide from jumping off a bridge. Sam could feel a tingling sensation crawl up his spine as Dean finished the story. That story had too much detail. There was no way they were hunting.

Kara looked at her watch and gasped. “Oh my, how the time has flown, class was over 10 minutes ago. Your assignment for tomorrow is read chapter 4 and take notes.” The sound of chairs scuffing the floor vibrated through the room as students chatted excitedly to each other. Sam was sure he heard students talking about how attractive their new teachers were, and how eccentric they seemed to be.

“Are you coming Sam?” Jess asked looking curiously at the youngest Winchester.

“Actually Jess, I need to stay.” Sam said gesturing to the trio in front of them. Jess nodded but didn’t move. 

“Alone.” He added quietly. Jess’s eyes widened a hurt look flashing through them before she nodded one last time and quickly exited the room, the door giving a resounding thud as it was slammed shut. 

Sam winced knowing that would not be fun to deal with later, sighing he looked back to his brother who was standing waiting for him. Sam swallowed nervously as he approached his brother, for the first time he didn’t know what to say.

“So, Sammy what did you think?” Dean grinned.

Sam shuffled his feet, gaze cast down to the floor. “Dean, I don’t even know what to say...”

Dean sighed, stacking his papers before stuffing them into his briefcase. “There is nothing to say Sam, it was a long time ago.”

Sam’s eyes flew to his brother in disbelief. “But Dean, I didn’t know, why didn’t you say anything.” 

Dean shrugged. “Nobody asked, everybody just assumed I was dumb as a box of rocks. I was too busy looking after you to correct them.” Dean held up his hand’s cutting off Sam’s protest. “I didn’t say that to make you feel bad Sam. I don’t regret looking after you, I would do it again in a heartbeat, but this is me, this has always been me.”

Sam let Dean’s words sink in a smile creeping over his face. He thought back to all those years in damp musty hotel rooms when Dean would help Sam with his homework before Sam became too stubborn to ask for help. He thought back to all the game shows they would watch, Dean would mumble under his breath, Sam had thought he was complaining about them but now he realized he was answering the questions. This Dean had been staring him in the face the entire time and Sam was too stupid to see it. So, he did the only thing he could, Sam began to laugh.

Dean gave his brother a horrified look, taking a worried step towards his brother. “Sammy? Sammy you ok?”

Sam nodded brushing at the tears running down his cheek. “I just realized how stupid I’ve been.” Dean shuffled his feet a blush creeping up his neck. Sam extended his hand towards his brother. “Hi Dean, I’m glad to meet the real you.”

Dean stared at his brother’s hand in disbelief for a moment before firmly grasping it with his own. “Glad to be known.” A grin plastered on his face.

Sam thought back to the lecture and the question that kept nagging at him. “Dean are you still hunting? I couldn’t help but notice your last example seemed a bit too real.”

“Kara and I finished that job about 2 months back as a favor for dad. We decided that would be our last job for the forceable future. We have bigger concerns than monsters right now.” Dean finished, his eyes lingering on his wife.

Sam’s brain whirled at the implication of Dean’s words. He knew there wasn’t much that would stop Dean from hunting the evil that roamed this earth. His brother had said only one thing would change it and that was if or when he had a child of his own. Sam’s face split into an enormous grin. “Congratulations man!” Sam clapped his brother on the shoulder. “I promise I will be the world’s best uncle!”

Dean blushed and he playfully shoved Sam. “Shut up, you would be a convenient babysitter at best!”

Sam laughed. “We need to celebrate! Come back to my place and I will make dinner and introduce you to Jessica.” Sam could see the hesitation in his brother’s face and his heart clenched. “Please Dean, I don’t want to waste any more time.”

Kara snaked a hand over Dean’s shoulder. “We should go. I want to be able to officially meet my brother-in-law and future sister-in-law.”

Sam gaped while Dean burst out in laughter at the look on Sam’s face. “Am I that obvious?” Sam muttered.

Kara snickered before giving Sam a warm hug. “Don’t worry Sam, its just what I do.” She turned to Dean. “I’ll be waiting in the car.”

Kara exited the lecture room leaving the brother’s alone. Sam looked at his brother and was filled with warmth and joy. “You look happy. It’s a good look on you.”

Dean snorted. “She is my savior that’s for sure.” Dean scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat nervously. “In fact, she is the big reason I took this job.” Sam looked at Dean curiously, but his big brother wouldn’t meet his gaze. “She’s been bugging me to reconnect with you.”

“Oh?” Sam would have to remember to thank Kara later. “I’m glad she did. I’ve missed you Dean.”

Dean rolled his eyes but was unable to hide his smile. “Dude. No chick flick moments.”

“Whatever.” Sam reached forward and pulled his brother into a long overdue hug. “Jerk.”

Dean clutched his brother closer. “Bitch.”

**Author's Note:**

> I have a big issue with people assuming Dean is only the muscle of the show. He is way smarter than people give him credit for so I wanted to write a story that would reflect some of his untold genius. I live for comments people! Have a good one!


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